Many vehicles include airbag and other occupant-safety systems that protect vehicle occupants during a collision. However, some occupant-safety systems can cause injuries. For example, airbag systems can cause injury due to overly forceful airbag deployment. To eliminate or reduce such injuries, some airbag systems determine the weight of the vehicle occupants, and control the airbag deployment as a function of occupant weight. Weight may be measured by sensors located within an occupant seat.
In some systems, weight information is used to classify a vehicle occupant into a group, such as adult, child, and infant, and airbag deployment is controlled as a function of the group. For example, if an occupant is classified as a “child,” the airbag is deployed with less force then would be used if the occupant is classified as an “adult.” If an occupant is classified as an “infant,” the airbag is disabled to prevent deployment.